Idris Elba in Talks to Replace Will Smith in ‘Suicide Squad 2’; Joel Kinnaman May Not Return

Suicide Squad 2 has been making quite the headlines over the last couple weeks and the noise doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. First it started with finding out the sequel is going to be helmed by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. Then the rumor that it was going to be an all new cast surfaced to the surprise of many. Followed by Warner Bros. saying that they were planning on keeping the 3 key actors in the original Suicide Squad, Will Smith’s Deadshot, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flagg the same in the upcoming sequel. While that seemed to reassure many since those 3 characters were arguably the best parts of the original, now recently things seems to have taken a dramatic shift.

Previously we reported that Will Smith was officially out of Suicide Squad 2, leaving many fans disappointed and unhappy due to the how good Will Smith’s Deadshot was in the original. The studio reported that Smith would not be returning to to scheduling conflicts with Smith and that there were no hard feelings between the two parties. With that being said, it was reported that Warner Bros. was deciding whether or not to keep Will Smith’s Deadshot out of Suicide Squad 2 or to recast him entirely. Many thought and hoped that they would just wait and use Smith at a later date, but it seems Warner Bros.
didn’t waist any time as it now seems that Idris Elba is in talks to replace Smith as the character of Deadshot.

According to The Hollywood Reporter the whole thing started when James Gunn met with Idris Elba on the possibility of Elba taking over the role for Will Smith. The two of them apparently hit it of and that is what set the wheels in motion for Elba to possibly take over for Smith. According to the report, Elba was James Gunn’s first and only choice if they were planning on replacing Will Smith in Suicide Squad 2. Idris Elba of course had his role as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that recently ended with the death of his character in Avengers: Infinity War at the hands of Thanos. Many complained about Elba having such a small role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that many would be pleased if he took over for Smith in a larger more front and centered role like Deadshot. While it’s not 100% official, things do seem to be moving in this direction.

As far as the remaining two characters Warner Bros. seemed keen on returning, Harley Quinn and Rick Flagg, reports are that Margot Robbie should return for the role of Harley Quinn, but with her own headlining movie Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) set for a 2020 release it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if she is not in it. As for Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flagg, reports are beginning to surface that he will NOT be returning as the main staple character. It has not become official but the story has begun to pick up a lot of steam as of late so don’t let it come as a shock if it happens.

So what do you think movie lovers? Are you happy or disappointed if Warner Bros. replaces Will Smith with Idris Elba? What about Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flagg not returning? Let us know what you think in the comments below!